JCPS lays out contingency plan for next week's winter weather in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- With cold weather moving into Kentuckiana, many are asking about plans for school next week.

Jefferson County Public Schools is Kentucky's largest school system with more than 95,000 students. Teachers, parents and students alike are looking ahead at the incoming winter weather.

On Monday, Jan. 15, there is no school because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but JCPS officials said it's too soon to make a call on how the rest of next week will play out.

"Our No. 1 goal is always the safety of our students and our staff," JCPS' Chief of Communications and Community Relations Carolyn Callahan said Friday.

JCPS was part of a Metro Louisville briefing with the latest information about the cold to come. JCPS said teams are continuing to monitor the weather and check on the district's more than 150 buildings.

"So, will we have school? We don't have that answer yet," Callahan said.

JCPS said a decision for Tuesday, Jan. 16, will be made by 5 a.m. that morning.

In a letter sent to families this week, the district said it plans to use Non-Traditional Instruction or NTI, when possible this year instead of canceling school for the day.

"We have 10 (NTI days) that we are allowed to use so we are planning to use as many as possible as needed in inclement weather," Callahan said.

There will not be early dismissals or delays except in very rare circumstances. That is a change that has been part of conversations about the district's transportation problems, which, during this school year, have had students showing up or getting home late.

"Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so school is closed because of that," Callahan said. "And then we have made the decision to do NTI because we have the availability to do that, and it does not prolong going into the summer for our students and staff that way."

JCPS said if there is an NTI day Tuesday, students would not be logging on a computer for live instruction. Instead, students will be given material to work on at home on their own time and bring that back to school when classes meet again in-person.

Callahan said last school year, JCPS used traditional snow days. However, she said now the district is looking into using NTI days because every school is already prepared in advance. She also said last school year, there was also a concern that the 10 NTI days may be needed in case of an uptick in COVID cases, forcing schools to pause in-person instruction. She said the choice to utilize NTI rather than cancel school has nothing to do with transportation.

If Tuesday becomes an NTI day, before and after school activities will be canceled, but Callahan emphasized that no decision has been made for Tuesday just yet.

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